King of the Sea
by KrazyJoey
Summary: Yami is a notorious pirate captain with bright red eyes and a curse that allows him to use strange dark powers, but in return shortens his life. He mercilessly plunders whatever he pleases without a thought for anyone but his twin brother, Yugi. One day a young man seeking escape from his gambling debts sneaks aboard their ship. Dragonshipping, pirate AU.
1. Chapter 1

This is a Dragonshipping Roleplay between me and ofspiritsandpuzzles. I played Joey and she played Yami. Posted with her permission.

...

"That was yer last chance, boy!" the large brute of a man slammed the young blond man up against the wall of the tavern. Joey had lost one too many gambles at cards and didn't have the money to pay for his losings. This large man, by the name of Daniels, was the reigning gambling king at this particular establishment and he didn't take kindly to people losing and not paying their dues.

"I'm sorry; I don't have the money to pay you right now!" Joey gasped as his head made a thudding noise against the grimy wall. "I'll pay you back as soon as I can, I swear!" This wasn't all that likely of a statement seeing as how the boy didn't have a means of employment in this smart port town and with his reputation of being a liar and a thief no one would be quick to hire him.

"A likely story," the man scoffed. "I'd just a' soon take 'et out of yer 'ide, you good for nothin' lit'le bum!" He landed a very hard punch on Joey's left cheek which laid him out flat on the floor.

The blond lay still for a few minutes before shakily rising to his feet. "I might be a good for nothing, but I know I can take you down!" He spat out blood, the punch had caused the inside of his cheek to be punctured by his own teeth. Joey lunged at the large man, catching him momentarily off guard with the suddenness of his action. He kicked the man squarely in the gut with enough force to send him flying into a nearby table. The young man took the opportunity to run for it as fast as he could.

In such a small town there weren't very many places he could run to for safety. He had unfortunately made far too many enemies here to have any friends he could turn to for safe haven. So Joey went to the only place he could think of that would get him out of this God forsaken hell hole: the docks. There he could stow away aboard a ship and get far, far away.

Joey was lucky to find a ship that was just getting ready to sail. In all the commotion of the crew preparing for departure, he managed to sneak aboard and below decks without being seen or stopped. He hid himself in some old sail cloth and waited. He only hoped wherever this vessel was headed was better than where he had come from.

…

Yugi hummed a quiet tune to himself as he made his rounds, making sure that everything was properly stowed away and accounted for before their departure. It wasn't often that they were able to dock somewhere without being stopped or recognized, and his brother was quick to take advantage as he sent some crew members (along with Yugi as supervisor) off to restock their supplies—surprisingly enough through honest means this time, which Yugi figured was only because his brother was in a generous enough mood after their most recent successful heist. (Which was good for Yugi—he really didn't have it in him to be mean or do anything bad, so he felt much better knowing that the goods they were carrying back on board were paid for... even if they were paid for with someone else's money.) Once he was sure that everything and everyone was on board, Yugi returned to his place at his brother's side, helping him with anything that his brother asked of him as the sails were raised and the ship was guided away from the dock and back out into the wide open sea, completely unaware of the extra passenger on board their vessel.

…

Yami was known as the King of the Seas, and he was more than proud to wear that title along with the descriptions that came with it: ruthless, sadistic, cold-blooded, heartless... the list went on, and Yami saw no need to dispute them when he knew them to be true. He found enjoyment in striking fear in the hearts of people, making land-lovers and sea-goers alike tremble at the mere mention of his name—and that was only half of it. There were also rumors that went whispered like the devil's name itself, rumors of sorcery and witchcraft and even (Yami liked this one the best) some claims that the pirate king was actually Satan in disguise, here on Earth to drag all of humanity down to Hell with him.

Of course, only a very select few knew of the truth behind these rumors (and by 'select few' he meant his twin brother, because he trusted no one else besides his own flesh and blood): the fact that he was cursed, weighed down with heavy dark magic that dyed his eyes blood-red and brought suffering to those who dared to become close to him—which was just as well for Yami, who needed no one by his side but his younger brother (who thankfully seemed to be immune to the curse's effect, though with the loss of their parents from a young age and the boy's tendency of getting pulled into trouble Yami had to wonder if perhaps he wasn't as immune as he tried to convince Yami he was).

The curse wasn't all bad, though—it gave him power at the expense of his own life, power that he used to keep his brother safe and to instill fear into anyone who dared to oppose him... Honestly, if it wasn't for his brother, Yami would have been happy to let his life burn away and to leave this world as king—but he knew the kind of hardships and sorrow that leaving Yugi behind would bring, and so it was for that purpose and that purpose alone that the pirate king began to travel with a new goal aside from plundering and fighting: somewhere out there, there had to be a cure to the curse that was eating away at his life, and he would find it with his brother by his side even if it meant giving up the power that he loved so much.

It was during this long and arduous search that Yami had his men disguise the ship and guide it towards the nearest port, deciding to spend some of their recent 'earnings' on restocking the ship's supplies so they could travel comfortably. Of course, the pirate king knew he couldn't just waltz into town—even if people didn't know what he looked like, his eyes were enough to give him away—so he sent Yugi in along with some of his most loyal men before making his way to his quarters, where he waited for their return.

Once the ship was stocked and ready to leave, Yami returned to the deck of the ship, where he took his place at the wheel and began barking out orders until the ship was away from the port and back at sea—and it was then that the ship's disguises were removed and taken down to storage, restoring the ship to its natural appearance as the proud vessel of the King of the Sea. It was after a few minutes that Yami and Yugi both were greeted by a sight that neither expected to see: two of their men pulling a blond, struggling stranger up from below the deck and leading him over to them before forcing the blond to his knees in front of the captain and his first mate. "Oh...? And what do we have here?" the pirate king questioned in a low tone, his eyes narrowed as his hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword. "A stowaway on my ship? You must have some guts, thinking you can get a free ride on a ship belonging to the King of the Seas."

Joey looked up at the pirate captain from his forced spot on the deck. "Some king you are," he growled, "You're so tiny. You're like one of those little dogs that thinks it's so tough." The blond fended off the two men who were holding him down before adding; "The name's Joey Wheeler." He stood up, standing a good ten inches or taller than the short man.

Yami could feel his eye twitching as the blond spoke—it wasn't as if he wasn't aware of his... less than impressive stature, but normally people at least had some semblance of self-preservation and held their tongues on the matter. This 'Joey Wheeler,' however, seemed to have a death wish judging from both how he spoke and how he carried himself, and the only bit of satisfaction that the pirate king gained was watching out of the corner of his eye as his crew members warily backed away, leaving ample space between them and the bloody mess that was about to occur.

"Well, _Joey_ , it seems you are even more foolhardy than I thought, running your mouth off like that to someone who could kill you with a mere thought." Though he wouldn't admit it, beyond Yami's irritation was a dangerous glint of excitement—it's been years since anyone had ever dared to speak to him like this, and part of him missed the challenge of breaking someone's will and forcing them to acknowledge him as being superior—and so though he _could_ kill Joey on the spot (and though he would continue to appear willing to do so), he instead decided to toy with the blond a little first and see what sort of reactions he could get out of him. He could see some of his crew members flinch as soon as his eyes began glowing an eerie crimson, the shadows around Joey's figure swirling and dancing around him before taking life and springing upward to wrap around the blond, forcing him back down to his knees. "Now then," the captain began, drawing his sword with a smirk and pointing the tip of the blade at Joey's throat, "would you care to retract your earlier statements?"

Joey was a little spooked at the sudden tendrils of shadow that took form and latched onto him. He struggled with them before realizing they were way too strong for even him to break free of. "What are you? Some kind of devil?" he said, fear starting to creep into his voice. Living in a small town by the port so long Joey had of course heard tell of a notorious pirate captain who was rumored to be Lucifer himself. Of course he hadn't taken any stock in the stories; he figured they were just that, tall tales told to pass the time in a town were nothing interesting ever happened.

"And no, I will not take back what I said before. You're a tiny midget," he added, trying to stay brave even though he was starting to realize just how much danger he really was in. Once out of his mouth though, he began to regret it. This pirate meant business, and if he was really as dangerous as all the rumors said then Joey was in for something very unpleasant.

Yami smirked. "Ah, and he finally begins to get it," he replied mockingly, both seeing and hearing the fear that was beginning to take hold of the blond. The pirate king's satisfaction was short-lived, however, when Joey continues to speak. He narrowed his glowing eyes, the shadows tightening their hold on the blond in response to his spike in irritation, and he pressed the tip of his sword against Joey's throat hard enough to break skin, a small bead of blood gathering and forming a thin line down his neck. "I retract my earlier statement. You obviously still don't understand your position if you're still running your mouth."

Yugi frowned, reaching out and pulling his brother back before the captain could do Joey any more harm. "Yami, that's enough! I know you're angry, but you'll seriously hurt him if you keep doing this..."

Yami scowled, still feeling irritated, but he sighed and reluctantly sheathed his sword, though he continued to keep Joey restrained. "... Very well then. I won't kill him... for now." With narrowed eyes, he added, "But if he cannot learn to hold his tongue by the time we reach the nearest port, his corpse will be food for the fishes."

Joey gulped, this pirate was serious, and he had just narrowly avoided getting sliced and diced. His continued restraint bothered him, but this apparently demon possessed man had very strong powers despite his size. "What are you going to do with me?" he asked, his voice far softer than it had been before. The second man, whom Joey assumed had to be the pirate captain's twin brother because they looked almost identical, seemed to be a far fairer and less cruel person. Maybe there was some hope of reasoning with him.

"Well, it depends on how cooperative you plan on being," Yami responded, his expression still dark with irritation. "We're still a few days from the next port-if you can prove yourself useful then you can have food and sleeping quarters until we arrive. If not..." His eyes flashed, and the shadows lifted Joey off of the ground slightly and turned him to face the endless expanse of sea stretched out before them. "You'll be making a new home for yourself amongst the fishes. Understand?"

" _Yami..._ ," Yugi warned with a disapproving frown, before turning his attention back to Joey with a weak smile. "Basically, just help out a bit with cleaning and maintaining the ship, and try not to get on Yami's bad side... any more than you already have, anyway."

"Alright, alright," Joey quickly agreed, kicking his legs as he hovered a couple inches off the ground, "Whatever you say, just let me down!" He wanted to add that Yami always seemed to be in a bad mood, but that would not be a good idea at all right now. He needed to actually behave or he'd get to personally meet the fish in the sea. This was going to be hard; Joey had a smart mouth and was quick to talk back.

Yami smirked in satisfaction as he heard the touch of fear in Joey's tone. "That's more like it." He left the blond struggling for another few seconds before calling off the shadows and letting him fall back onto the deck. "Yugi, show him around the ship and monitor him to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble." He turned his gaze over to the crew members hovering nearby watching the entire exchange, shooting a glare at them as he added, "And you lot! Get back to work!" The crew members quickly scattered and went back to their assigned posts, and Yami gave an approving nod before making his way off to his quarters.

"Aye aye, captain," Yugi responded with a touch of amusement, his expression falling into one of slight worry as he watched his brother walk off before allowing a smile to return to his face as he turned to face Joey. "Are you alright?" he asked, offering the taller boy a hand. "Sorry, my brother can be a bit... much to handle sometimes, but he really isn't as bad of a person as everyone thinks."

Joey took the offered hand and pulled himself to his feet. "You sure about that? He seems like the Devil incarnate." The blond dusted himself off, not that it did him much good when he was already filthy. He hadn't bathed in a good couple weeks not to mention wash his clothing. "How can you be related? Are you twins? You seem so much nicer than him."

Yugi muffled a laugh behind his free hand as he helped pull the blond to his feet. "Just don't let him hear you say that, especially after how much you already managed to irritate him." He smiled at Joey's barrage of questions and comments. "Yeah, we're twins... Yami's the older of the two of us, and the stronger of the two of us for that matter. As for me being nicer, well... like I said, Yami isn't as bad of a person as he seems; it's really just... circumstances that make him act the way he does." With a smile, he added, "But thank you for the compliment, Joey." Yugi began to walk, gesturing for Joey to follow him as he continued talking. "Let me show you around so you can get familiar with the ship, and then we'll figure out what you can do to help out. Do you have any preferences for what you do or don't want to do?"

"I'd prefer to not be murdered by your brother," Joey joked, running a hand through his tangled golden mop of hair. "I'm not sure; I've never been on a ship before. What do you do here?" It was true, even though he'd lived by the sea all his life, Joey had never been on a ship before.

Yugi muffled a laugh behind his hand at Joey's joke. "You won't be murdered by him unless you give him a reason to murder you," he replied with an amused expression. Yugi gave the blond a smile at his question, continuing to show Joey around the ship as he spoke. "Well, when we're at sea there's not much to do aside from simple chores—cooking, cleaning, maintaining the ship... Cleaning takes the least amount of experience, but is a lot of work; cooking is self-explanatory, so if you can cook then we'll be glad to have an extra pair of hands working in the kitchen; and maintaining the ship is a bit difficult if you don't know what you're doing, but I'm sure you can pick it up in no time if you put in the effort. So really, it's up to you what you'd feel most comfortable doing."

Joey thought about the question for a while before giving his answer. "I think I'd prefer to work in the kitchen." He didn't have much experience in the matter, but working with food sounded better than scrubbing floors or something of the sort. Thinking about food made his stomach growl. The blond hadn't eaten anything all day and was starving.

Yugi muffled a laugh behind his hand as he heard Joey's stomach growling. "Was that your brain saying you'd rather work in the kitchen, or your stomach?" he teased, before leading the way to the kitchen. "Alright, so kitchen duty it is! Let's go get you a little something to eat and get you familiarized with the kitchen, and then I'll take you to the bathing station and get you some new clothes—no offense or anything, but we try and keep up a certain level of... proper hygiene on the ship, especially in the kitchen." He smiled as he added, "Yami says that it's just because it would be a waste of time if everyone got sick, but I know it's really because he worries about his crew."

Joey looked down at his tattered and dirty clothes; it had been a long time since he had had a bath. It wasn't like he had much opportunity to do that living on the streets. He was very glad that they were actually going to feed him too. He had feared that, with what he had seen of the cruel and not so stable captain, he would be treated very poorly, which included not getting fed. "Thank God, I could eat a whole horse right now," the blond exclaimed, his nose starting to catch a whiff of something cooking in the galley.

Yugi smiled in amusement. "Well unfortunately we're a bit short on whole horses, but we have plenty of other food for you to choose from," he joked, entering the kitchen and waving to the chef on duty. "This here is Joey, he's going to be joining you in the kitchen once I get him set up-but for now, can you make him something to eat?" He smiled when the chef agreed and began to cook up and serve a nice sized meal for the blond, and once the plate of food was passed to Joey, Yugi gestured for him to follow. "I'll take you to the mess deck so you can sit and eat at your leisure-it's right over here." He walked into the dining hall, smiling as a few crew members greeted him and politely greeting them back before introducing Joey. "Go ahead and take a seat," Yugi said, gesturing to the long tables with a smile. "I'm going to go have your bath prepared while you eat; I'll be back in a few minutes."

Joey happily dug into the food given to him with gusto. This was more like being treated like a king than being captured by notorious pirates! The blond couldn't remember the last time he had eaten so well. On top of that, he was getting a bath. He let out a happy sigh as he devoured the last morsel of food on his plate; things were finally starting to look up for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Yami stared out at the wide expanse of ocean before him, his expression an odd cross of irritated and amused. It had been a few days since Joseph "Joey" Wheeler had been found as a stowaway aboard the pirate king's ship, and while the blond was proving to at least be capable of pulling his own weight (at the expense of most of their food supplies-allowing him in the kitchen meant giving him access to all of their food, and the captain and his crew all quickly learned that Joey had a very healthy appetite), he was also proving to be the most disrespectful person that Yami had ever had the misfortune of meeting.

Honestly, with how small of a filter there seemed to be between the blond's brain and his mouth, it was no wonder that he had to resort to stowing away on a pirate ship-no doubt his mouth had gotten him into some sort of trouble in town, and Yami was sure that the blond would continue getting himself into trouble just because he didn't know how to hold his tongue. Not that he was Yami's problem, of course, nor was he concerned about Joey's well-being once they went their separate ways-no, with all of the comments (especially about his height and his temper), the pirate king was rather looking forward to being rid of the irritating nuisance... or so he said, anyway.

To his annoyance, there was a small part of him that was actually enjoying the back and forth banter between himself and the blond-it was refreshing to have someone treating him like a person on equal footing instead of someone who needed to be feared and obeyed, and the pirate king almost considered keeping Joey on board as a permanent member of his crew... but as cruel as he was, he couldn't just force anyone to follow him, and so he decided to leave the decision to Joey himself. Yami pulled himself from his thoughts as he heard one of his crew members report that they spotted land, and he immediately began barking out orders as he set course for the approaching port, idly wondering what the blond's decision would be once they reached land.

Joey had finished his duties in the kitchen and heard the shout that they had reached land. He popped out on the deck to check it out and spotted Yami. "So where are we?" he asked the captain. The blond hadn't really been told much of anything and he was curious to know where they had landed. Plus a touch of cabin fever was overcoming him and he wanted to get back on solid land and away from this blasted, constantly moving ship.

Yami briefly pulled his gaze away from the approaching port to glance over at the blond, briefly considering ignoring his question before deciding that it wouldn't be worth the headache that would no doubt follow-he'd learned for himself just how stubborn the blond could be when he wanted to. "Seville," he responded. Upon realizing that Joey probably wouldn't know where that was, he added, "A large port city in Spain." Yami could see the blond's restlessness and eagerness to leave the ship, and so (with only the slightest bit of hesitance) he turned to fully face Joey as he asked, "What are your plans now? I highly doubt you have the means to get by in a foreign land by yourself."

Joey didn't reply right away. He just gazed out at the land that was steadily growing closer. "I really don't," the blond replied. In fact, he didn't have a single coin to his name, let alone any plans for his future. "I'm really just taking this as it comes and hoping it'll all work itself out." He turned to the captain, asking a question of his own. "What are your plans? Or are you just planning on robbing them all blind? It really doesn't seem like much of a life," he paused, "I mean, after you get everything you want, what is there then? It all seems rather lonely."

Yami frowned. "My plans... are not what you think they are," he began slowly, unsure of just how much he could tell the stowaway-after all, he wasn't really a member of his crew and he held no loyalty to him, so revealing too much could end up hurting him in the long run. "I'm... searching for something in particular. Most of what you've heard of me were all things that occurred only because people crossed my path and took me lightly; as for theft, we mainly steal either from the rich, or we steal money and goods that were already stolen by someone else. The reason why we're docking here is so I can try and gather information, and if they don't have what I need, then I will just move on to the next port." He kept his gaze out towards land as he spoke, only turning to glance over at Joey when he added, "As for my lifestyle being 'lonely,' I'm perfectly fine with that-so long as I have Yugi by my side to protect, I don't need anyone else. It was how I lived before, and it's how I'll live even after I find what I'm searching for."

Joey continued to stare out at the land. The pirate obviously cared a lot for his brother. It made Joey think of his own sibling. He had a little sister whom he hadn't seen in years. After his drunken gambler of a father had started taking out his frustrations on their mother; she'd beaten her husband over the head with a frying pan and ran off with Joey's sister. Joey couldn't really blame her for doing it but he still missed them sometimes. He turned back to Yami after his internal musing and asked a question, "Just what is it that you're looking for?" It had to be important for him to go to all this trouble.

Yami's frown deepened in response to Joey's question, his eyes briefly flashing in defensive irritation before he forced himself to take a breath and calm down-it wasn't as if he had any malicious intent, or at least not that the pirate could sense, so there was no sense in jumping down the boy's throat over a simple (yet heavy) question. "... I don't suppose you've ever heard of the fountain of youth?" Though the question wasn't entirely rhetorical, Yami continued speaking before Joey could give a response. "I need the power that the fountain possesses. Unfortunately, there aren't many leads to go on, and my time is running out-but at the very least, I hope to secure Yugi's future even if I can't save my own."

Joey thought for a moment before replying. "Fountain of youth? But you don't look very old to me, what do you need that for?" He pondered longer, finally the most likely reason clicking in his head. "Wait, are you…are you dying?"

Yami smiled wryly. "In a sense," he replied, keeping his gaze firmly ahead. "It isn't something I talk about with just anyone, and it isn't as if I have a fatal disease or anything of the sort. It's just... an unusual condition, something that can only be reversed with the power that the fountain has to offer." Deciding that he'd said more than enough, the king of the seas steered the conversation back to the original topic. "You said that you don't have a plan-do you at least have anything you want to do with your life? Wandering around aimlessly will only get you so far without any sort of goal in mind."

Joey smiled wistfully, coming from a life of poverty; he'd never really had time to think about it. Most of his life was spend just trying to stay alive. If he really had to choose something though, there was just one thing that he wanted. "I'd like to find my little sister. I have no idea where she is, or even if she's still alive. She was always sickly…" But of course, this was a silly idea; he had no idea where to even begin looking for her. She could be anywhere.

Yami looked a bit surprised to hear about Joey's sister, his expression quickly softening in understanding. "Well I hope that she's alive and well, and that you are able to find her," he said, beginning to see the blond in a new light-anyone who cared so deeply about their sibling had to be a good person at heart, no matter how annoying they initially came off as being. An idea suddenly hit the pirate captain, and he paused for a moment, mulling over the idea before slowly beginning to speak. "You know... it will be difficult to search for her on foot, and all by yourself, especially when you don't have a single coin to your name; and as I said before, my ship stops at ports all over the world fairly often to gather information..." Yami allowed a moment for the implications to sink in, letting Joey make the decision as to whether or not he was willing to accept the unspoken offer.

"You mean you'd be willing to help me find her?" Joey was frankly surprised. He thought this heartless pirate was, well, heartless. But it would seem that he had a soft spot when it came to family. Seeing how close he was with his brother it really shouldn't come as such a surprise.

"I mean that we're both looking for something, and it would make more sense for you to stay on my ship than to try and search on your own," Yami responded. He glanced over at the blond before adding, "But don't think that means that you're getting a free ride-if you're going to stay, then you're going to officially be a part of my crew. You have to take orders and continue doing work around the ship as you've been doing, you may even have to steal and fight alongside us, and you might not see land for weeks at a time. Are you willing to go to all those lengths for a chance to find your sister?"

Joey thought for a moment. "Really I have nothing to lose, so why the hell not?" He smiled wryly, "Seeing my sister is probably the only thing I truly want to do and am willing to go to any length to do." The blond tilted his head to the side as he looked down at the smaller man. "Does that mean I have to call you Captain now?"

Yami nodded, satisfied by Joey's resolute answer, before giving him a brief smile. "Then welcome to the crew. We'll do all that we can to help you find your sister, so long as you pull your weight and help us in return." He raised an eyebrow at the blond's question, more amused than annoyed as he answered, "Unless you'd like to scrub the deck from top to bottom on your own for not showing your captain respect, then yes, you have to call me Captain. I let it slide before because you weren't officially part of my crew, but if everyone hears you calling me by name, they're going to start thinking they can do the same."

Joey frowned a little. He had a bit of a problem with authority and calling the pirate "Captain" didn't sit all that well with him. But, if it helped him find his sister, he could swallow his pride just this once and relent. "Aye, aye, Captain," he gave a mock salute, bouncing his right hand off his forehead.

Yami (poorly) hid his amusement behind a roll of his eyes in response to the mock salute. Honestly, he'd expected Joey to put up more of a fight with regards to treating him like a figure of authority, but he supposed that Joey's determination to find his sister was more important to the blond-which was something that the pirate captain highly respected about him, and could never fault him for (after all, he'd do the same for Yugi in a heartbeat). "When we get to town, you're free to do what you wish and go about getting information as you like," Yami spoke after a moment, the ship only minutes away from the harbor now. Slipping a hand into his pocket, he pulled out a small satchel and tossed it to Joey as he added, "I'd suggest getting any essentials at the marketplace as well-clothes, shoes, a weapon, and anything else you think you might need."

Joey caught the satchel and swung it over his shoulder in one quick, fluid, movement. He'd always been poor, so the thought of actually having money that he could spend on things other than the bare minimal for survival was an amazing thought. The first thing he was going to buy was a pair of good boots; no more winters having to wrap his feet in dirty rags to keep from getting frostbite. "Thanks, Captain." This time he didn't say it sarcastically, the blond really meant it. Despite being a bloodthirsty pirate, this man was nicer to him than almost any person he had met in his short life.

Yami shrugged, waving off the blond's thanks (while inwardly acknowledging the surprising lack of sarcasm). "Yugi will be going with you to the market to get some things as well, so he'll make sure that you don't buy anything that you don't need," he said as the ship began to pull into the port. "And don't expect this treatment every time we dock-you're going to have to earn any other gold that you get after this." He paused for a moment, a frown on his face, before sharply glancing at Joey and adding, "It should also go without saying that when you're with Yugi, you're not to get into any trouble. I don't care what you do when you're on your own, but if he gets hurt, you'll be the one to pay for it. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir," Joey replied. With the look in the shorter man's eye, the blond knew he meant business. He also knew he'd do the same thing if he had to entrust his own younger sibling to someone else. "But how am I supposed to make money?" It's not like they paid him to help in the kitchen.

Yami nodded, satisfied with Joey's serious response-he had figured that the blond would understand given his drive to find his own sister, but it felt good all the same to have that reassurance that Joey wouldn't let anything happen to Yugi. The pirate captain tried and failed to hide his amusement at Joey's question, and he began walking towards the gangway to leave the ship as he spoke. "The same way that all pirates make money, of course." To make sure Joey understood, he glanced back at him and added, "We'll come across other ships while we're at sea. Pull your weight in each siege, and you'll get your pay, simple as that."

Joey chuckled slightly at that. "Guess I really am a pirate now," he lowered his voice so Yami couldn't hear him, "Whether I want to be or not." The blond sighed. This was going to be quite the adventure.


	3. Chapter 3

Yami's eyes narrowed as he gripped the hilt of his sword, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. It had been a peaceful week at sea after leaving port with no more information than they already had, and so of course this meant that they were bound to run into trouble soon-and it was safe to say that the pirates attempting to forcefully board his ship from their own was the sort of trouble that he'd been expecting. Honestly, he wouldn't have been looking forward to this so much if it wasn't for the fact that this would be Joey's first encounter with hostile pirates, and he was genuinely curious to see how the taller blond would handle himself in a real fight. (Of course, he would also be keeping an eye on him just in case things took a turn for the worse, but unless Joey's life looked like it was in danger he wasn't going to step in and help.) As soon as the pirate king drew his sword, his crew took that as a wordless order to ready their own weapons-and with that, the battle began.

Joey was a little confused at first, which was to be expected since this was his first time fighting this many people at once. He'd been in more than his fair share of fights in his life and knew how to defend himself though. The biggest difference between those fights and this one were that in those he simply knocked out his attackers and ran for it; in this case it seemed expected that he actually kill his opponent. Even though these were ruthless black-hearted pirates, the notion just didn't sit right with the young man and he avoided slaying anyone. Mostly he dodged cutlass slashes and hit men with the flat of his own sword. In fact, this was also the first time he had battled with a sword and it was becoming a pain. He ended up stowing it away in its sheath and fighting with the style he had always used: his fists.

Yami kept Joey in his peripherals at all times as he fought, noticing right away the blond's hesitance to inflict any fatal blows-in fact, the boy seemed adverse to using a weapon in general, and while most might consider it foolhardy to take on armed opponents barehanded, Yami couldn't help but be impressed. Thankfully, while the pirate captain couldn't do much to cover Joey's back, Yugi was already on it from his position in the crow's nest, and a smile briefly worked its way onto his face as his brother took down an enemy pirate who tried to attack the blond from behind with a well-aimed shot to his shoulder. Though Joey didn't know, the majority of Yami's crew was of the same opinion regarding killing their opponents, and so most of them fought by disarming their opponents and knocking them overboard-of course, the pirate king had a reputation to uphold, so he couldn't be as kindhearted as the rest of his crew. Once the last of the hostile pirates had been forcibly expelled from his ship, he gave the order for his men to board and loot the enemy ship before turning to face Joey with a smirk. "You did fairly well for yourself, considering this was your first serious fight. Your swordsmanship could use some work, though-perhaps starting with actually keeping your sword out of your sheath," he teased.

"Hey, this is the first time I've even held a sword. I have no idea what I'm doing!" Joey complained about the pirate captain's criticism of his fighting style. It was true though; the blond really did need training on how to use the weapon. Fighting with his fists would work against low-grade pirates like the ones they had just fought, but against stronger opponents Joey would find himself food for the fishes.

"I can see that," Yami replied with a touch of amusement. "I suppose I should have one of my men give you some lessons on how to properly wield a sword, otherwise you may end up finding yourself in a dangerous situation down the line." In the blink of an eye, the pirate captain had his sword drawn and pointed at the blond's neck, the tip resting right under his chin as he continued to speak in a conversational tone. "After all, it only takes one swing of a sword like so to take an amateur down, and you won't be able to find your sister if you're resting at the bottom of the sea." Yami pulled his sword back and sheathed it with a smirk. "And perhaps with enough training, you could even give me a decent challenge. You seem to have a natural talent for holding your own in a fight."

Joey was too shocked to move when Yami suddenly placed the sword so near his throat. He dared not even breathe or the tip might have punctured his skin. After the pirate removed the sword and sheathed it Joey could speak without fear of injury. "That sounds like a good idea," Joey replied. "And I bet I could beat you one day," he couldn't resist adding.

"Yami couldn't help but laugh at the bold declaration-not out of mockery, but out of genuine amusement. "If you keep that attitude and train hard, then you may just be the first person to defeat me someday," he agreed with a smile. The pirate captain turned his attention away from Joey briefly when his crew returned carrying hoards of treasure chests and other rare items, and he nodded with a satisfied expression. "It seems that they were hoarding even more treasure than I expected. This should last us a long while." Turning his attention back to Joey, he gestured to the treasure chests where the rest of the crew were beginning to gather. "Go ahead and help yourself to a little reward for surviving your first battle."

Joey had to stop and stare at all the riches laid out before him. He'd never seen this much treasure before in his life. How was he supposed to choose anything? After a few minutes of contemplation, he picked out a pretty gold necklace with a beautiful emerald in the center. "For Serenity," he said, "When I find her," he looked off at the horizon of the ocean as he said the last part.

Yami's expression softened-for Joey to choose his first reward not for himself, but for his sister... the pirate captain knew then and there that if he still had any doubts about allowing the blond to travel with him, they were completely for naught. No one who looks at a pile of gold and thinks of a loved one before thinking of themselves could ever be a danger to my brother or my crew. With a satisfied nod, Yami instructed his crew to begin organizing and storing away the treasures before making his way over to one of his crewmen and pulling him aside. After speaking with him for a moment, Yami led the brunet over to Joey. "Joey, this is Tristan, one of my most trusted men. He will be teaching you proper swordplay in between your regular duties, and will be acting as your sparring partner until he feels that you're capable of holding your own in a sword fight."

"Good to finally meet you-officially, anyway," Tristan responded, clapping a hand on Joey's shoulder with a smile. "Don't expect me to go easy on you just 'cuz you're the captain's new favorite," he added teasingly, ignoring the glare that Yami shot at him-he was one of Yugi's oldest friends, and thus one of the only people on the ship who had the privilege of being able to tease the captain without fear of being thrown overboard or worse. "So, have you ever used a weapon at all, or are we starting from the ground up here?

Joey had of course seen Tristan around the ship, but had never actually talked to him. "Only if my fists count," he replied, throwing a mock punch at the young man. He didn't mean to actually hit him, but put a little too much force behind the punch and ended up actually making contact, knocking Tristan over. The blond grimaced when he realized what he had done. "Sorry," he apologized, helping the taller man up.

Tristan wasn't prepared for the mock punch, nor was he prepared for the strength behind it-which, while not enough to really hurt him (he was a bit of a brawler himself, so he could take a punch without much trouble), was still enough to cause him to lose his balance and fall backwards with a yelp. Regardless, he couldn't help but laugh as he accepted Joey's hand and let the blond help him back to his feet. "It's fine, it's all good." Once he was steady he grinned and gave his crewmate a teasing punch in the shoulder in return. "It looks like I don't have to worry about training you for strength, at least-I'm sure once you pick up the basics, you'll be one hell of a swordfighter."

Joey was glad that he had not injured Tristan, or made him angry. He really didn't need to make any enemies on the ship. He twisted slightly when Tristan punched his shoulder but had taken enough hits to stand his ground. "Well, when do I start?" he pulled out his sword, looking at it skeptically, "I have no idea where to even begin," he mused.

"We'll start with your grip and your stance," Tristan replied as he drew his own sword. "Think of the sword as an extension of yourself when you're fighting. You know how you can hurt yourself if you punch someone the wrong way? It's basically the same thing with wielding a sword-if you're not careful, you could get hurt." He held his sword up so Joey could take a proper look at his hold on it, before doing a few demonstrative swings through the air. "You want to hold it tightly enough that you won't be easily disarmed, but loose enough that you can swing it freely without hurting your arm. Understand?"

"I think so?" Joey said quizzically. It sounded easy, but he wasn't sure how easy it would be in actual practice. The blond swung the sword around experimentally, getting a feel for its weight and size.

Tristan watched carefully as Joey swung his sword around, stopping him at intervals to adjust his grip and stance until he was satisfied with the blond's performance. "Alright good, now next is actually fighting against an opponent. It's the same as a street brawl, in a sense-you have to read your opponent's movements and counter before you can get hit. Only real difference that you have to be conscious of is the distance, since your sword is going to be doing the fighting instead of your fists." Tristan took a stance opposite Joey, pointing the tip of his sword in his direction. "Practice trying to block my attacks first, and then we'll work on your counterattacks. Defense is the best offense, especially when fighting against someone using a weapon."

Joey parried Tristan's blows well, at first, but his natural instinct was to take the lead and fight back as hard as he could. He went a little far and ended up slicing a small cut in the arm of Tristan's jacket. "I'm sorry," he apologized, taking a step closer to see if any blood had been drawn, "I'm too used to taking the offensive."

Tristan was a bit caught off-guard as Joey suddenly pushed back, slicing through his jacket nearly close enough to break skin. As the blond drew closer, Tristan swung out, disarming Joey in one move before pointing the sword at his throat with an amused grin. "Two rules: one, don't ever let your guard down, and two, learn to listen to what your teacher tells you to do or you're going to get your ass handed to you." He lowered his sword and bent down to pick up Joey's sword off the ground before tossing it back to him. "I already know that your offense is fine, and I get that you're used to punching first and asking questions later-but that kind of fighting style won't work here. Knowing how to defend yourself and how to push aside the instinct to rush head-first into the fight can be the difference between life and death here."

Joey deftly caught the sword Tristan threw back to him. "Okay, let's try this again." He took a defensive stance, ready and willing to give the sword training another shot. He was just far too stubborn to give up after only one failure.


End file.
